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12th Grade Planning for College
Use your Daily Planner:
- Record class assignments
- Maintain good study habits by checking off completed assignments
- Keep track of important deadlines
- Manage your time by planning your schedule
Maintain academic standard:
- Plan your schedule each week
- Improve grades, if needed
- Take a challenging course load
- Check on GPA and class placement
- Keep track of important deadlines and test dates
Stay involved in extracurricular activities:
- See our website for a list of sports and clubs
- Listen for announcements and look for posted signs regarding meetings
Perform community service:
- Volunteer
- Check to see if volunteer organization is non profit
- Perform a minimum of 15 hours for each of the junior and senior years
- Turn in documented community service hours
- Do 75 hours of service over all four years for Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholars Award
Review high school graduation requirements for American Heritage:
- Four years of English
- Three years of social studies (world history, American history, American government, economics)
- Three years of mathematics (Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II minimum)
- Three years of science (biology required)
- Two years of the same foreign language
- One year of computer applications
- One semester of fine arts
- One semester of physical education/weight lifting
- Electives (Strongly recommend four academic electives)
- 24 credits total
Review Bright Futures scholarship requirements:
- Florida Merit Scholarship (3.0 weighted g.p.a./ 970 SAT or 20 ACT)
- Florida Academic Scholarship ( 3.5 weighted g.p.a./1270 SAT or 28 ACT)
- Four years of English
- Three years of social studies
- Three years of mathematics
- Three years of science
- Two years of foreign language
- 75 community service hours for the Florida Academic Scholarship
Apply for a Bright Futures Scholarship:
- Complete the Florida Financial Aid Application
- Apply on-line in December or pick up a hardcopy application from your guidance counselor*
- Give a copy of the completed application to your counselor
*Your scholarship will not be processed if you do not submit this application!
Register for and take SAT I, ACT, and TOEFL tests for additional scores:
- Check to see whether your list of colleges accept both the SAT I and the ACT
- Colleges look at your best verbal and math score from the SAT I or the best combination of subscores from the ACT
- Send score reports to colleges on your list (code # in registration booklets or online)
- Send score reports to NCAA (code #9999) if you are an athlete and intend to pursue athletics in college
Register for and take SAT II subject tests:
- Check to see if any of the colleges on your list require SAT II subject tests and which tests
- Take tests by December test date
- Decide whether or not to send scores
Continue College Search:
- View 4 Year U.S. Universities by State
- Use guidance resources located in library (catalogues, guides and videos)
- Visit Petersons
- Visit Princeton Review
- Consider competitiveness, size, geographic location, cost, majors, and extracurricular opportunities
- Attend college visits at school and/or local hotels to speak with college representatives
- Visit college fairs (online or in local area)
- Define list of potential colleges and add to college files
Request college applications by mail, download applications or apply online:
- Ask counselor for help in choosing appropriate colleges for your ability
- Keep a copy of the completed applications and give a copy to your counselor
- Confirm receipt of application with college
Register with NCAA:
- See guidance counselor for registration form
- Submit registration form and request transcript to be sent to NCAA
- Send additional SAT and/or ACT scores to the NCAA (code # 9999)
Register with the Selective Service (male students only):
Complete application process for military academies:
- Retake necessary tests and send scores
- Request letters of recommendation and write essay to complete application by Oct. 1st
Make an appointment with your guidance counselor:
- Go over applications and deadlines
- Go over essay and resume
- Request additional letters of recommendations, if needed
- Request official transcripts for each application and scholarship
Finalize resume:
- Add additional information to resume
- Include grades, test scores, extra curricular activities, honors and work and volunteer experiences
Finalize college essays:
- Write college essays (use applications for topics and guidelines)
- Have teacher and/or counselor proofread essay
Search and apply for scholarships and financial aid:
Visit colleges:
- Write or call colleges
- Talk to alumni and/or current students
- Set up an appointment with admissions
- Inquire about personal interviews with someone from the department you are considering
- Pick up excused absence form for college visits from Upper School Office
- Send thank you letters to college interviewers
Things to do:
- Maintain academic performance
- Give copies of college acceptance letters and scholarship awards to your counselor
- Write thank you letters to teachers who wrote recommendation letters for you
- Notify colleges which you are not going to attend
- Have counselor submit midyear reports and transcripts, if needed
- Request final transcript to be sent to college you will be attending
- Continue applying for scholarships
Take A.P. (Advanced Placement) exams in May:
- Take exam if enrolled in A.P. course (some honors students take A.P. exams)
- Check college catalogues or college web sites to see how A.P. scores are used by then
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